Once Sisters, Now Rivals
by Sienna Rain
Summary: Mitsuki and Midori Saga are sisters. When Mitsuki leaves Konoha to chase a dream after their parents die, Midori is the star of the village, loved by all. Mitsuki comes back, though, and develops an interest in a certain Shinobi. However, what happens when Midori has the same interest? Who will he choose? Midori a little Mary Sue-like. Rated T for cursing and violence. Hiatus.
1. The Past to the Present

Chapter 1: The Past To The Present

"_Mitsuki! C'mon, we should go pick flowers for mommy's birthday!" Midori Saga, 6 years old, Mitsuki's little sister, yelled. Thankfully, their mother was outside tending to the garden. "Ok," Mitsuki had agreed, only because she loved helping her sister. Otherwise, she'd never go outside, where so many other people were._

_She rushed outside, and she ran down the streets of Konoha; where she and her family lived. Midori, her black hair shining with inner light, and the green streaks in her hair glistening, was laughing with happiness. Mitsuki laughed too; she enjoyed being with her sister, and it was as if they completed each other. _

_They were two halves of a whole; Midori was the one everyone liked, not that Mitsuki ever minded. Midori was definitely a people person, whereas Mitsuki liked to keep to herself. They would both be starting school that next day, and they would become Konoha ninja. Mitsuki wasn't looking forward to all of the people in one classroom, but Midori couldn't get more excited. _

_The sisters ran all of the way to a garden just outside of the village. Mitsuki surveyed the garden, her thoughts plagued by thoughts on what her mother liked. "Her favorite color is yellow… I'll get her this one!" She thought, as she grabbed the first yellow one that she saw. Midori had, of course, picked out a green one to match her eyes and her natural green highlights._

"_Ok. Let's go back," Mitsuki said to her little sister, who was staring up at a butterfly. She just nodded and followed her, but before the two could leave the village, Mitsuki was knocked back by a blow to the stomach from two people who ran past them. Midori yelled, "You guys are such meanies!" At them, but they kept running._

_Mitsuki felt a dark, suspicious feeling growing in the pit of her stomach, and she said, "C'mon, Midori…" The two sisters ran back to their house, to find it quiet. Their father, who was sitting on the couch, was now lying unnaturally on the floor. Midori ran to him, nudging him and yelling at him to wake up. "Oh no," was the only thing that could play in Mitsuki's mind._

_She ran outside, and there was their mother, lying in the flowers that she loved so much. She was dead. Mitsuki felt herself fall to the ground, in an anguished manner. Midori must have heard this, because she came over to her, "Daddy won't wake up…" But when she saw their mother, she burst into uncontrollable tears. _

_All that Mitsuki could do was comfort Midori, and Midori wailed, "Who would ever kill mommy and daddy?" An image of the two people who had knocked her back appeared in Mitsuki's mind, and she growled, "Those people who knocked me over killed them."_

_Mitsuki was DYING on the inside, but she never really was one for showing her feelings. She and Midori were polar opposites in nearly every way, and that probably would never change. It never did. _

_After that day, Mitsuki swore to kill whoever had done such a thing, and she was going to do it, even if it cost her entire life. She even got golden highlights, as a tribute to her mother. Neither of the sisters were the same since that fateful day. _

_They both live with each other, alone, and took care of themselves under the careful watch of the Third Hokage. He had always had a soft spot for the two, due to his great friendship with their father, and even paid to have them both sent to the Academy._

_Academy life was normal; for Mitsuki, all she focused on was kicking ass. She wanted to become strong so she could hunt down the men who had brutally taken her family away from her. Unwillingly, she was adored by many boys and they often followed her around when she tried to train._

_Midori, on the other hand, was doing average and all she wanted to do was have fun. She usually disrupted class with another kid; Naruto Uzumaki. He was blonde and had these marks on his face that made him look like a cat, and wore an unnaturally orange jumpsuit all the time. Iruka-sensei would get so mad at them both, but Mitsuki was one of Iruka's favorite students._

_She never talked out, was always quiet, and always got her homework done on time. In fact, she was usually one of the kid's with the highest grades and attendance. Mitsuki was second only to another; Sasuke Uchiha. Honestly, she never really liked him. In fact, she thought he was annoying. She really didn't understand how a guy that was that much of an asshole could have so many fan girls. Midori was among one of the most popular girls in their class, hanging out with Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno. _

_The day that they graduated, both at 12 years old, Midori was put on a genin team with Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura, whereas Mitsuki was put on a team with Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi, and Ino. Midori fit in perfectly with her team; she and Naruto always hung out, and she was great friends with Sakura as they both tried to get Sasuke's attention. Mitsuki, on the other hand, was just another person in her squad. She REALLY didn't like Ino; she was such an attention whore, and Choji couldn't stop eating long enough to talk._

_However, Shikamaru and her seemed to click. They both thought that their teammates could be a bit annoying, and they both understood mind games. Often, they hung out outside their duties, and they watched clouds together and lazed around. He was fun to talk to, because he knew when to talk and when to stop._

_He introduced her to writing stories, because he thought she was a great story teller. Mitsuki just dismissed this as Shikamaru trying to be stupid, but he was quite serious. One day, he gave her a small black notebook with 200 pages in it, and a black pen, and told her to write a book for him. Mitsuki just sighed and did as she was told, taking her three hours to fill up all 200 pages._

_When Shikamaru read the story she had written him, which was about the day that she had lost her parents, he looked at her and said, "Mitsuki… you should become an author." She had no idea what to make of that, because it wasn't like her to enjoy doing things, but writing in that little notebook had changed her perspective on things._

_The Chunin Exams came around, and Mitsuki watched everyone around her fail; even her little sister, who was good at Genjutsu. Mitsuki knew some Genjutsu herself, but she wasn't as talented at it as her sister was. She was mostly into Taijutsu and traps, and she was good with chakra control. In the end, she and Shikamaru were the two who came out on top as the only Chunin._

_After the disaster at the Chunin Exams, when the sisters found out that the Third Hokage had died, Mitsuki finally let a tear slide down her face. Midori had cried like nothing else, but Mitsuki tried to keep her tears in. They tried not to cry at his funeral, which was tough, but they both made it through it._

_A month after become Chunin, which was a month full of writing and sleepless hours for Mitsuki, she announced to Midori that she was leaving to pursue a dream. Midori, of course, was angry beyond all reasoning, but she actually let it slide. Mitsuki was going to go somewhere far away, and become an author. Somewhere she didn't have to worry about having missions or doing other things. Just learning to become a normal person with a normal life._

_She informed Shikamaru of this, and he had nearly lost it. He told her that he was going to miss hanging out with her, and that they wouldn't be able to be rivals for a while. Mitsuki almost cried, but she told him she was going to come back when she had achieved her dream. _

_Mitsuki had left the village, feeling all sorts of feelings come crashing down upon her. However, she knew she would return. She felt it in the pit of her stomach._

_She then travelled to a place that was called, "The Land of Dreams.", which was nearly a month's journey from the Leaf Village. In her time, she had been to many villages, but none of them could help her achieve her dreams. This village, though, had everything she needed. Now 13, she settled down by herself, and began to write books for all people to enjoy._

_Over the course of time, Mitsuki had met a lot of people, and written many books. She became renowned by all in the Land of Dreams as one of the greatest authors their land had ever seen. Having achieved her dream, making some money, and many new friends, Mitsuki decided to return home._

_Among her many new friends, she was accompanied by Ario, her rare white tiger. He was rare because when they met, he was wounded in the woods. Mitsuki had taken care of him and brought him back from the brink of death, and they had been inseparable ever since. So inseparable, that they had developed a bond that tied them together: telepathically communicating with each other._

_The two were rarely seen without each other, and he soon grew from a small one that couldn't even reach the middle of her leg, to having his back the height of her shoulder. Ario was a very caring creature, and he liked to be pet._

_However, it was time that the two returned to Konoha, and resumed being ninja there._

Meh… for the beginning of a story, this was… alright. Not my best work, but close enough… I hope. Rate/Review! Also, reloaded because I got another burst of confidence in it :D Rate/Review so that I don't delete it again :o


	2. Homecoming

_Flashback:_

_Among her many new friends, she was accompanied by Ario, her rare white tiger. He was rare because when they met, he was wounded in the woods. Mitsuki had taken care of him and brought him back from the brink of death, and they had been inseparable ever since. So inseparable, that they had developed a bond that tied them together: telepathically communicating with each other._

_The two were rarely seen without each other, and he soon grew from a small one that couldn't even reach the middle of her leg, to having his back the height of her shoulder. Ario was a very caring creature, and he liked to be pet._

_However, it was time that the two returned to Konoha, and resumed being ninja there._

Chapter 2: Homecoming

"Miss Mitsuki, are you sure you want to leave?" One of her bodyguards asked her as she grabbed everything she held dear to her and put it into a blue backpack. Mitsuki looked up at him; he looked almost confused, and she sighed, "Suguru… it's time that I make it back to see my sister again. It's been much too long."

Suguru just sighed as well, and said, "Then… we will get all of your things together soon-" "No," she cut in. "I don't need any of my things. Just a few pens and some notebooks." Suguru looked surprised, and he said, "Well… ok." Ario licked the back of his head, "Oh, you Ario! Stop being such a baby! Miss Mitsuki will take you along, too."

Ario growled at him, but Mitsuki said to him, _"Ario, it's ok. Suguru is just going to miss us."_ Ario looked at her, _"Why can't he come along?" "Well… if he wants to…"_ Mitsuki looked up, "Suguru, do you want to come to Konoha with me?"

He looked at her for a moment, smiled, and then ruffled her hair, "No, Miss Mitsuki. I must stay here in my homeland. But I wish you luck in the rest of your career, and if you ever come back… then I shall still be your guard." Mitsuki smiled, "Thank you… but I don't think I will be coming back. You're free to live here, and use anything that you want here."

Suguru blinked, then smiled, "You are so very kind, Miss Mitsuki! Thank you!" She smiled, and Ario rubbed his face on his back, "And Ario… I'll miss you, too, and all of the _wonderful_ bath times we had…" Ario growled; he absolutely _hated_ bath time! Mitsuki laughed, and began to look for a few spare pens and notebooks.

Once the packing was done, she hugged Suguru, "You've been like a father to me. Thank you." He just smiled, "Anything for you, Miss Mitsuki. I'm glad that you have made your dream come true." Mitsuki smiled widely, "Thank you. Have a good life, Suguru." Ario said to her, _"I'm going to miss him."_

"_Me too, Ario. Me, too."_ Mitsuki stepped out of her house, or… mansion, as many would call it, and set out on the road from which she came.

Over the course of about a month, Mitsuki had walked by many villages that she knew of that were very familiar, and once she had passed a village called Suna, she knew she was close. _"Ario… we're almost there. Now, you'll be able to meet everyone and my sister."_ _"Really? Does your sister look like you?" "Yes… Midori is almost like my twin, but she has green eyes and green highlights."_

Ario just nodded, and continued ahead. Since they were so close, they didn't want to stop when evening fell. However, Mitsuki decided to when they were about a mile away. _"What will I say to everyone when I go back? I don't like to… talk to many people. The only person that I could ever talk to besides my sister after the incident with my… parents, was Suguru."_ Ario almost glared at her, but he sighed, _"It could be a chance for a new start." _

With that, Ario lied down and fell into a deep sleep. Mitsuki laid her head onto his belly, _"I wonder what everyone else will think of me. I've been gone much too long, two years is like a lifetime."_ She swam in her own thoughts, until she fell asleep.

The sun shone brightly enough to make Mitsuki flinch in her half-asleep state, and she woke up. "Hey, Ario, wake up! We're almost there!" Ario shot up and said, _"Then what are we waiting on?"_ The two jumped up and began to sprint toward Konoha; it was in sight.

"_I'll race you,"_ Mitsuki smirked at Ario. _"I'll beat you, then."_ At first, Mitsuki was ahead, but Ario pulled ahead for a while. As soon as they made a turn onto the road that led to the familiar gigantic gates of Konoha, the two stopped. There were people there. Lots of people.

Ario made a confused noise, and Mitsuki raised her eyebrow in confusion; what was going on? A festival or something? _"Let's look dignified, no matter what they're doing there. Image is important, and if people don't take you seriously the first time they see you, then they never will."_ Mitsuki nodded, and the two walked calmly up to the crowd.

A woman was walking toward them, and Mitsuki was nothing but confused, _"Who is she?"_ Ario just shrugged, _"I guess she's the leader of the village; the Kage, is what you call them here in these lands. Hokage, more specifically."_ The lady, with a green robe and blonde hair, came up to her and said, "I'm glad to see that you've returned to the village, Mitsuki Saga. I was informed that you were returning, and being the well-known Shinobi that you are, naturally, many people wanted to welcome you. "

Mitsuki could only look at the people behind her, and saw only friendly, familiar faces. Ario walked, calmly, beside her and Mitsuki nodded, shaking her hand, "Yes, and thank you. If you need anything to be done, missions, anything… I will not hesitate to do them." The lady just laughed, "Well… I have decided to give you the day off, since you have just now returned. Heh… and you can rekindle your bonds with others in the village."

"Thank you, Lady Hokage." Mitsuki bowed, and she laughed, "Please… just call me Tsunade." So-called Tsunade turned to the people who were standing behind her, and surprisingly, Mitsuki could tell exactly who everyone was. Right in the front, was an old friend of her sisters'; Naruto. His orange jumpsuit and blonde hair were hard to miss, and among others she could identify were Sakura, Ino, and Choji.

"_Where are Shikamaru and my sister?"_ She asked herself, but Tsunade's words interrupted her train of thought, "As you all know, Mitsuki Saga has decided to return to Konoha, and as her doing so, she will return to being a Chunin tomorrow. As for most of you in this crowd, you know her, and I expect that you take great care in welcoming her back to this wonderful village."

As soon as Tsunade finished, the people started clapping, then dispersing, and Choji walked forward, "Hey, Mitsuki! It's been awhile!" Mitsuki looked up, Ario tensing beside her, _"It's ok; he's a friend."_ Automatically, Ario loosened up, and she continued to Choji, "Hey… how has training been?" Choji smirked, "Heh, well… Ino and I have been training really hard, but Shikamaru…"

He trailed off, and Mitsuki's eyes widened, "What about him?" Choji shook his head, "I don't know where he is. Probably slept in this morning, as always. Although, he's missed you for quite some time. I hear him mutter about how troublesome it is that he's now the 'only sane one' on our team, now. Asuma keeps laughing at him, too. But… he was promoted to Jonin last week."

Mitsuki felt her heart stop, _"Jonin? No fair…"_ Choji must have seen it in her eyes, as he laughed, "It's alright; he only had to do three B rank missions. Don't sweat it, though; I'm sure you'll catch up to him in no time." "Thanks, Choji." Mitsuki said her goodbyes to him, and walked with Ario. _"So… where is your sister? You two look alike, right?"_ _"A bit… but… I don't know."_

The two walked the familiar, yet very strange-like streets of Konoha, and soon she passed a ramen shop. Inside, was Naruto, eating ramen just like he used to. Mitsuki smirked and said to Ario, _"Some things just never change."_ They walked by, when her feet started on a familiar path. She continued to run, and her feet led her up a building, Ario following swiftly, and there he was.

However, he was asleep, as always. Their secret spot, where the two of them would muse over how things in the village were a drag, or how the missions and/or their teammates were troublesome. Shikamaru, of course, looked much older and bigger than the last time they had seen each other. His hair was longer, and he was much more masculine and tall.

Mitsuki, followed by Ario, walked up to him, and sat next to him. As usual, one eye opened, and he began to say, "Ino… I _told_ you… this spot is reserved for-" But when he actually took her in, he jumped up, his head cocking to the side, "So… it's really you, huh?" Mitsuki smirked, "Lazing around as usual?"

He sighed, "You answered my question with a question… don't do that." She put her hands up to her face, "Sorry." Shikamaru smirked, "So… I'm a Jonin. Guess I beat you." Mitsuki snorted, "Psh… of _course_ you beat me… I've been gone for around three years…"

Shikamaru just ignored that and said, "So… did you know that lots of guys missed you when you left?" Mitsuki snorted again, "Yeah, like who? I know _you_ did, but…" Shikamaru began, "Well… I could tell that _Sasuke_ missed you, because he would always go to the part of the training field where you trained, and just stare into space, then leave. He's not in the village anymore… he left a couple months after you did, and we thought he went after you, but he's… he's gone."

Mitsuki, confused, asked, "Why the hell would Sasuke like me? I never really liked him in the first place." But Shikamaru smirked, "I guess he was just mad that you didn't chase after him like everyone else. But, that's beside the point. Naruto missed you because you always paid for his ramen, and he has so many IOU's at Ichiraku's… it's not even worth laughing about. Anyway… the team missed you, because you were as level headed as I was."

He smirked, before continuing, "Your sister… Midori… she's been doing fine after you left, actually. A troublemaker, therefore very troublesome in my dictionary. All she does is prank people, and she hangs out with some of the… guys." Mitsuki raised her eyebrow, "Which guys?" "Oh… Naruto, Kiba, sometimes Choji… but she spends most of her time with Ino and Sakura."

Mitsuki nodded; nothing had really changed. Ario made his way toward Shikamaru, _"You know this guy?"_ She nodded, and Ario sat down in front of him, and he began petting him, "Yeah… so, who's this guy?" Mitsuki said, smiling, "My partner, Ario." Shikamaru's eyes widened, "He's as big as Akamaru!" Her eyebrows creased in thought, now; who was Akamaru? The name rang a bell… but it was as if she had totally forgotten who that was.

Not wanting to tell Shikamaru, she said, "Yeah… that's great and all, but where's Midori?" At that moment, a loud clanking noise could be heard from not far away, and the sound of three people laughing was heard. "There she is," he sighed. "Sometimes she hides up here when she gets in trouble."

Ario settled down beside Mitsuki as she lied down next to Shikamaru, and the two began to watch the clouds, but three people came up to the roof; Mitsuki knew the orange-clad one was Naruto, and the one that was in the hoodie with the big ass dog was Kiba, but when she saw the third person, her heart stopped; it was Midori. She looked the same as when she left, but her hair was long and in a ponytail. Her green highlights shone bright in the sun, and they were talking, "Man, all this running has me beat…"

Naruto's voice came across the two who were sitting quietly, which made them both shoot up. "Hey, guys." Shikamaru said, steadily. "Look who's here." Naruto's eyes widened, "It's been a long time!" Kiba looked almost confused, but when his dog barked at Ario, who sat up and gave it a level glare, he said, "Shush, Akamaru," _"So… that's who Akamaru is…"_

Midori took a moment to stare, but she ran up to her, "Mitsuki!" She was engulfed in a nearly inescapable hug, and she said, "It's nice to see you again, Midori." Midori pulled away, and said, "You've been gone _forever!_" Mitsuki only smiled, but she glanced at Ario, who snorted, _"She's the exact opposite of you. So rambunctious and loud."_

Mitsuki could only smirk at Ario, and Midori gasped, "Woah! You got a _gigantic TIGER?"_ Midori began to pet Ario, who soon calmed down and got used to her. "Yeah," Mitsuki surveyed everyone's appearances. "I did. His name is Ario, and he's very friendly toward others."

Shikamaru sighed, "Don't you Chunin, and Naruto, have some training to do?" Naruto jumped around, "Yeah, that's right! I'm gonna become Hokage, and no one had better stop me!" Kiba side-glared at him, "Not if I beat you there." "As if, Kiba," Naruto huffed as he crossed his arms.

Ario speculated as he glanced at Mitsuki, _"We trained a bit in our free time, with our collaboration attacks… but I wonder how fun it'd be to test ourselves out against all of them?"_ Mitsuki couldn't help but sigh, _"Maybe."_

That's when it hit her; they were all Chunin! "So… you promoted to Chunin over these years?" Midori straightened the headband on her head, "Hell yes! Now we're no longer at the bottom rung of the ladder!" Naruto glared at her, but didn't say anything.

Shikamaru turned to Mitsuki and whispered, "I saw an ad for one of your books… heh, seems interesting. I might want to read it." He gave a lazy smirk, and Mitsuki felt a small blush coming on, "Not a good idea… I didn't know you were into romance." He just huffed, "Things have changed."

"Books, huh?" An orange-clad ninja snorted. "How boring. Why weren't you out training instead?" "Yeah," her sister edged in. "It would have been a lot more physically structuring if you had. Right, Kiba?" Before she could be ridiculed anymore, she pushed past the three.

"_C'mon, Ario. Let's go have a day on the town instead."_ Ario stared at her for a moment before following her at a fast pace. Mitsuki closed her eyes and sighed when she heard her sister's laughter from up top of the building.

Was it really the right choice to come back?

Ok, that's it for chapter two! Drama is already settling in. :D Glad I decided to re-upload! :) Rate/Review!


	3. Fans and Notebooks

_Flashback:_

"_C'mon, Ario. Let's go have a day on the town instead." Ario stared at her for a moment before following her at a fast pace. Mitsuki closed her eyes and sighed when she heard her sister's laughter from up top of the building._

_Was it really the right choice to come back?_

Chapter 3: Fans and Notebooks

**Midori's POV**

"_I wonder what's up with my sister nowadays…"_ She thought as she watched Mitsuki and her huge white tiger Ario walk off into the distance.

"Dammit, Midori," Shikamaru cursed at her as he got up to stretch, "Your sister just got back, and you're already into teasing her?" "How was _I_ supposed to know she'd react like that?" Shikamaru just shook his head as he began to jump from rooftop to rooftop. "I'm gonna go find her."

The three who were left just stood in silence until Midori sighed, "Look what Shikamaru did! He made me feel all bad now!" Naruto put his hands behind the back of his head, "Well, you _did_ hurt Mitsuki's feelings." Midori slapped him, "Don't act like you didn't do anything either!"

She turned to Kiba, who had just been standing there, silently. He was still staring off into the distance where Mitsuki had run off to, and she prodded his shoulder, "Kiba? What do _you_ think?" His gaze snapped to her, making her nearly have a fangirl moment.

A week after her sister had left, she had developed an extreme crush on him, and obviously, after almost three years, she still wasn't over it. _"He's so… cute!"_ However, the shiny, black jacket-wearing ninja just sighed, "I dunno."

Resisting the urge to slap him, she huffed, "I'm gonna go find Ino and Sakura. I hope they're not still at work with that sissy medical ninjutsu shit."

**Mitsuki's POV**

Still a bit shocked that her own sister would ridicule her for not training, she took a look at her own body. _"I'm skinny… my bust is considerable. 27 C isn't that bad… is it? I don't have very much muscle, which is from not training… should we train more, Ario?"_

Ario was staring up at her with an almost disgusted face as he said, _"TMI. Just because we share EVERYTHING, even thoughts, doesn't mean that I have to hear THAT."_ She frowned, _"Sorry. It doesn't matter if Midori is my sister or not… what she said kind of hurt, but she's right. If we're gonna have a day off, instead of writing, I'm going to spend it training! How about you?"_

The white tiger motioned to a book shop in front of them, a big sign on the doorway that was pointing to a new book rack, "Mitsuki Saga: Best Author in The Land of Dreams!" Mitsuki couldn't help but smile at it as she saw one of her latest works being displayed. Chrysanthemum was what it was called. Even if it _was_ a romantic book, it had a sad ending where the woman dies. However, the man learns to let go as he finds another woman who made him happy as well.

"So, I see you've come out with another book," Shikamaru was beside her, smirking. "When'd you get here?" Mitsuki answered, sounding calm when he had really scared her shitless. "Oh, nothing. Sorry about your sister. She's become quite… how do you say it… blunt… over the years." "No kidding," she agreed. Shikamaru walked over and flipped through the book, and smirked again, closing his eyes as he put it down, "Hmm. Looks like a good one. I'll come back with money to get it to see what you've come up with _this_ time."

"Y-you actually _read_ my stuff?" Mitsuki was surprised. Mainly because the things that were in those books were mostly for girls her age, not guys. _"Whatever works,"_ she glanced at Ario, who was rolling his eyes.

Shikamaru said, "Well, aren't you going to ask how life in the village has been?" "Ok… how has life in the village been?" Mitsuki rolled her eyes at him and he said, "First, I'm gonna give you a tour, then I'll-" Mitsuki stopped him right there, "But Shikamaru… I have to go train! I'm resuming duties tomorrow, so I had better be ready for all of that. You can tell me while we head off toward the training field."

All he did was shrug as he asked, "Did what your sister say get to you, Mitsuki?" "Tch… no. In fact, if anything, she's right. If I'm going to resume being a Kunoichi, then I've got to be ready to take on missions and kick some ass."

"_Not too confident, but it'll get better, won't it?"_ Mitsuki mentally asked Ario, who answered, _"Sure."_ Mitsuki began walking down the street, Shikamaru lazily tagging along a step behind her. "Nothing much has changed in the village, Mitsuki. If anything, it's pretty much the same."

She glanced at him and said, "So… um… not that I'd care, but… does Midori like anyone?" Shikamaru sighed, "I wouldn't know. She mainly hangs out with Naruto and Kiba as well as Ino and Sakura."

Shrugging, Mitsuki looked down. _"Huh. Not that I care about boys at the moment, but… maybe I'll begin to like someone…"_ Ario growled and glared up at her, _"Pick someone I can deal with."_

Mitsuki watched as people flowed by her, and Shikamaru smirked, "Hey, there's your sister again. You know, she's become quite popular in the village. I don't think there's anyone here who doesn't know her name."

Upon spotting Midori, Mitsuki noticed she was sitting with a pinkette, Sakura, and a blonde, Ino. Also, Kiba and Naruto were sitting near the trio, but not with them. Before Shikamaru and Mitsuki could even remotely get near them, Naruto stood up, "Hey, Shikamaru! Want to chill out with us?"

All of the people sitting with Midori turned their heads, and Mitsuki nodded to him, "Go ahead. I need to do some training anyway." Before Shikamaru could make up his own mind, Ino grabbed his arm and began pulling him toward the small area they were sitting in, "C'mon, Shikamaru! It'll be fun! We're about to play a game!"

Shikamaru glanced back at Mitsuki, making her prone to wave a farewell to him, and watched as everyone greeted him happily and he sat down next to Kiba and Akamaru.

Mitsuki walked by, looking down at Ario, and he asked her, _"Are you upset that they didn't invite you?"_ _"No,"_ she glared at the huge tiger walking next to her. _"Of course not. We have to train anyway."_

The two made their way, quickly, to the training field, and were met with a beautiful, empty space. "Looks the same as when I left it! Ah, brings back so many memories…" she was caught up in a nostalgic moment with team ten and Asuma, whom she still hadn't seen yet, and training.

Ario made her get out of it, though, as he asked, _"Ok… as for training, are you still trying to figure out how we attack as one?"_ Mitsuki turned to him, "Yeah. It can't be _that_ hard… can't you bite or something?"

The huge white tiger sighed, _"I'd rather just lean against some trees and listen to the sound of your pen glide against the paper in your notebook."_ "Me too," Mitsuki agreed, walking toward a rock at the edge of the clearing. "Just for a little bit; I've got my notebooks with me."

**Midori's POV**

"_Looks like Shikamaru is coming over! Cool." _Midori sat down at the edge of the circle that was unconsciously being formed by everyone who was standing there. Sakura and Ino flanked her as they sat down on both sides, Sakura asking, "Don't you think… you should have invited Mitsuki, too?"

Surprised, Midori cranked her head to see her sister and her huge tiger making their way down the street in a fast-paced manner. "I didn't even notice she was with him," she heard herself mutter. "Whoops."

Brushing things off like they were nothing had become a habit of Midori's, and she glanced over at Kiba, who was staring absentmindedly off into the distance. _"He's been doing this all day,"_ Midori thought, almost angry, as she walked over to him.

"Kiba," she asked, biting her lip for some sort of effect. He looked up at her, his eyes narrowing, "Huh?" Blushing at the intense gaze he had set on her, she stuttered, "Um… um… I was… just wondering… do you think… we should play a game?"

"_Nice save,"_ she thought to herself, and watched as he studied her face for a moment. After a long moment, he sighed, "You guys can. I gotta go run an errand." With that, he ran off with Akamaru in tow.

Leaving Midori winded, she glared after him, Sakura and Ino whispering to her, "I wonder where he's going…" Naruto sighed, "Man, I'm bored! What do you guys say; we should all go out for lunch?" Sakura sighed, "Let me guess where you're going to take us; the Ichiraku Ramen shop?"

Naruto was rubbing his hands together and drooling, "Yes! _Please,_ guys; I'm starving!" Ino glanced at Midori, who sighed, "Fine." Naruto grabbed her hand and kissed it multiple times, "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head, "I knew this was going to be a drag, but I didn't think it'd be _this_ lame. I'm gonna go find Mitsuki." Before he could leave, Ino grabbed his arm, "Come with us, Shikamaru! Please! I don't want _Naruto_ to be the only guy there! That's just a recipe for disaster!"

The lazy ninja just sighed, "Fine." Sakura locked eyes with Midori, "Hey, did you notice that everyone was talking about your sister earlier?" Surprised, Midori's eyes widened, "No. What were they saying?" Sakura tapped her finger on her lips, thinking back, "Most of them were saying something about how she was such a great author… but some were surprised that she was coming back, and they were saying something about wondering how she was going to balance training and writing."

"Humph," Midori sighed. "I dunno. My sister's pretty good at multi-tasking. I bet she'll find _some_ way to get around it." Naruto turned around, "Are you glad she's back in the village?" "Of course!" Midori glared at him. "Mitsuki is my sister. I've missed her; it's kind of lonely in our shared apartment. Guess I'll have to welcome her back."

They reached Ichiraku's, and Naruto sat down, greeting the ramen guy, "Hey, old man! I'll have my regular; Miso ramen with extra pork!" Ino and Sakura shook their heads as they chorused, "I'm fine." Shikamaru scratched the back of his head, "I guess I'll have the beef ramen…"

The man nodded and turned to Midori, who smiled, "I'll have… the same as Naruto." He smiled and got to work, cooking, as his daughter, Ayame, said, "So, have you heard Mitsuki Saga is back in the village?"

He smiled, "Ah, yes. Isn't that the girl who kept giving you money so you didn't have to issue us an IOU, Naruto?" The blonde idiot laughed nervously, "Yeah…" Ayame continued, "Have you read her new book yet? Chrysanthemum? It's amazing! Her best work yet! After work, can I go get her autograph?"

The ramen man sighed and said, "If you can find her. Come to think of it," he turned to Midori, who had intently been listening to the conversation. "Mitsuki is _your_ sister, isn't she?" Midori nodded, irked that people couldn't just shut up about her sister already. _"It's like… it's like she's a movie star or something! Every time I turn around, there's her name! Dammit."_

He continued, "Have you read any of your sister's books?" Midori shook her head, and Ino's mouth went agape, "Why not? They're _so_ good!" "I'm just not into that kind of stuff." She sighed. Romance stories… just weren't her thing. She didn't care if the guy got the girl in the end. Midori liked adventure stories, where you didn't have to worry about trivial things such as relationships.

"Well," the ramen man handed her, Shikamaru, and Naruto their ramen. "I read a page, and I found that I couldn't stop reading them. Ayame here got me hooked on them; I've read every single one of her works up to date. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next." He was smiling, and Sakura was blushing, "Did you read her first book? What was it called…? Hold Me! Yeah, that's it!"

Ayame blushed, "That one was the best! Remember the part where he-" The two girls began giggling, and Midori almost rolled her eyes as she finished her ramen. _"What's so good about her books anyway? Books are boring. I'd rather do something with my life, like become a better ninja, than write down words in a notebook."_

Shikamaru had finished his pork as he began to speak, "Yeah. I read that one. My personal favorite was Synchronized." Ino squealed, "That one was _my_ favorite, too!" Sakura blushed, "That one was good." Even the ramen guy was a little red in the face, "Hmm."

Naruto was looking around at everyone who was talking with shifty eyes, and Midori was thankful that he hadn't uttered a word about it. _"Naruto is like me; he doesn't really enjoy books either. If Kiba was here, he'd probably be the same. I guess this is what I get for hanging out with all of these girls, I mean, come on; Shikamaru even reads that shit!"_

But she thought too soon; Naruto smiled, "Mitsuki's books… can't say that I've actually read one, but I remember seeing her write in one of those notebooks she had back before she left… I don't think I've ever seen so much emotion on her face. Doesn't she always seem gloomy?" Everyone thought about it, even Midori, _"Huh. Actually, now that I think about it… I don't think I've EVER figured out what was on Mitsuki's mind. Ever. She doesn't talk about things like feelings, so how does she write about them…?"_

Shikamaru, though, smirked, "She has a lot more emotions than you think. You just haven't had a heart-to-heart conversation with her." "That's bullshit, Shikamaru," Midori heard herself say. "I've had plenty of talks with my sister, and she's never, not once, told me anything that relates to feelings."

Everyone was staring at her, and Shikamaru shrugged, "I'm not surprised. She hates talking about feelings. I don't know why, though. I'm lucky if I get an expressed emotion out of her. Usually it's surprise or fear…" Smirking as if remembering something, Shikamaru pulled out some spare money, "Here. Thanks for the ramen, but I've gotta go. Lady Tsunade told me to come by during noon for a mission of some sort."

After he left, Ino smiled, "I'm gonna go buy Mitsuki's new book!" She got up, dragging Sakura with her, and that left Midori alone with Naruto. _"Some friends I've got,"_ Midori thought, bitterly, and Naruto turned to her, as he paid for the one ramen bowl he had eaten, "Hey… let's go train or something! If I'm gonna become Hokage, then I'm gonna have to keep in tip-top shape!"

The ramen guy and Ayame smiled, and Midori put down some spare cash on the counter, "Thanks for the meal, old man!" Naruto yelled as he grabbed Midori's wrist and dragged her away.

**Mitsuki's POV**

"_Man,"_ she mentally stated to Ario. _"I can't stop writing. I don't think one day has been so fruitful… idea-wise."_ Ario glared up at her, _"Are you saying this because it's true, or because you don't want to train." "Both,"_ Mitsuki sighed, and Ario followed suit.

Only a moment had passed by, when she heard a voice above her, "What are you writing?" Her heart made a sickening thump in her chest as she jumped up. Ario looked relaxed as he rested his chin on his paws. _"Someone's in the tree…"_ Mitsuki thought as she stared at the dark figure leaning against the sturdy trunk of a tall tree that was behind her.

"I can't believe you didn't notice me," the familiar voice snorted, and Mitsuki watched as a gigantic white dog jumped down and began licking in between Ario's ears. Being the pissy kitty that Ario is, he sighed, _"Keep calm. Keep calm."_ But Mitsuki almost didn't hear him, as she watched a boy in a shiny black jacket leap from the tree and stretch.

"It's such a nice day… what are you doing writing? You should be training!" His hand reached for her notebook, and, being protective of it, she snatched it from his possible clutches and hid it behind her back. "Back off, Kiba," she heard herself growl.

However, he was too fast, as he dashed for her, and as she put her hands up to defend herself, he grabbed it from her. Before he could flip through it, she kicked him in the stomach, causing him to fly back and drop her notebook. "Huh," he said, jumping back up. "Not bad… for someone who hasn't train in who knows how long."

Mitsuki her eyebrows crease as her mouth formed into almost a frown as she bent down to pick up her now-bent notebook, "Just… don't touch my notebook." Kiba tilted his head, "What; do you have something to hide?" "No," Mitsuki shook her head, "I-it's just… I don't like people looking through my stuff." Kiba looked like he didn't believe her, making Mitsuki want to hit him upside the head.

"_Does he not understand what 'personal space' means?"_ she asked Ario, but saw that he was in his own dilemma at the moment; Akamaru was literally on top of him, and Ario was just too nice to get him off.

Mitsuki felt her lips part in laughter, and Kiba moved toward her and sat down, making her gaze snap to him, "So… it's been awhile since you left the village. How have you been?" She eyed him, curiously, "You nearly assaulted me, trying to take my notebook, and you expect me to answer you when you ask me how I've been?"

Kiba stared at her his eyes narrowing, "Well, yeah; it _is_ common courtesy, isn't it?" Mitsuki felt rage bubble up inside her; how dare he hint that she knew nothing about common courtesy? She glared into space, controlling her temper, "I figured. I've been fine, and life in the village is much more relaxing than life in the Land of Dreams."

"Really?" Kiba was staring at her with interest in his eyes, and Mitsuki nodded, "Yeah. I can't explain it, but… this is my home, and it's where I belong. You know?" He nodded back, "I know what you mean." They stared at each other, silently, until he said, "I have an idea; why don't we spar?"

Mitsuki looked him up and down, "But… you'll kill me. I haven't sparred in forever, and I don't know-" Kiba looked exasperated, "Three years ago, you and Shikamaru were the only Chunin in our year. C'mon. That meant that, out of all of the people that were in the Chunin Exams, you and him were the two who were the best. I'm sure you can beat me."

She just snorted, "You must train at _least_ once a day! I'll never beat you!" Kiba smirked, "I know." Mitsuki's eyes widened as she stared at him, "What the… you just said-" He closed his eyes and put his hands on his hips as he stood up, "I know what I said. I only said it to make you say you'll never beat me."

"_That's it,"_ Mitsuki warned Ario, who just sighed, _"Don't overdo it."_ She charged at him, and he smirked, "That's more like it. Come here Akamaru; we've got this one in the bag." However, Mitsuki's fist connected with his face, making him fly back into a nearby tree.

"Heh," he was wiping off some stray blood on the side of his mouth, "Not bad. Buy let's see how you can dodge this one." Mitsuki stopped as he began rattling off handsigns, and he charged at her. Dodging his frontal attack easily, she noticed that whatever he had just done had made him a lot more feral than he normally was;

His teeth had gotten longer, and his eyes had gotten narrower and sharper. Even his movements had changed. _"What just happened?"_ she tried to ask Ario, but the tiger was just staring wide-eyed at the sight. "What's the matter," Kiba taunted her. "Is that all you've got?"

Swallowing her doubts about not being able to beat him, she reasoned with herself. _"Even though he's become a lot fiercer, it seems as though I'll be able to read his movements. Though,"_ Mitsuki looked down at her arms, which had become skinny due to lack of training, and continued, _"I may not be as strong as I used to be, but I never will be unless I work up to it. I guess it's worth a shot."_

Mitsuki smiled at him, "Just warming up." Kiba bore his teeth at her, "That's more like it." She flinched, _"Even his voice changed…"_ He charged at her, making Mitsuki think of the best defensive move she knew.

**Midori's POV**

Naruto was dragging her to the training field without her permission. _"Even though I don't want to go, maybe THERE is where people will shut up about my sister for once."_

The blonde-haired ninja was smiling, "Once I become Hokage, I'll make sure that my face is going to be on the Wall of Heroes! Instead of those grumpy looking old men and Granny Tsunade, _my_ face is going to be young and happy-looking! Believe it!"

He was ranting to himself, and Midori sighed, "I'm sure that's great, but-" They had reached the training field already, due to Naruto's fast pace, and he put a finger on his mouth, telling her to be quiet. Since Naruto didn't usually shut up, Midori realized this could be serious and shut her mouth, hiding in the bushes behind Naruto.

They stared off into space into the training field, and Midori hissed after a minute, "What the hell are we looking at?" Naruto glared at her, "Your sister is over there; she's fighting with Kiba." Midori felt her heart stop, "What?"

Taking a closer look, Midori peered through the bushes and saw that Naruto was right; Mitsuki and Kiba were indeed sparring, though there wasn't a single scratch on either yet. But that's not what Midori was thinking about.

"_THIS was Kiba's 'errand'? What the hell? He left the group… to go spar with my sister? The gloves are coming off now! Hell no!"_

She stood up and made a mad dash for the sparring two, realizing that they were too engrossed in the fight to notice her swift approach. Midori tackled her sister, feeling all of the rage spill out. _"No one. Lays a FINGER. On Kiba."_

Jealous much? Anyway, sorry for not updating ANY of my stories! I have an extreme case of writers block, but I'm trying to soldier through it. Rate/Review! :)


	4. Jealousy Takes It's Toll

_Flashback:_

"_THIS was Kiba's 'errand'?! What the hell? He left the group… to go spar with my sister? The gloves are coming off now! Hell no!"_

_She stood up and made a mad dash for the sparring two, realizing that they were too engrossed in the fight to notice her swift approach. Midori tackled her sister, feeling all of her rage spill out. "No one. Lays a FINGER. On Kiba."_

Chapter 4: Jealousy Takes It's Toll

**Mitsuki's POV**

She was just starting to get the hang of it all; all of her moves were coming back to her, and fighting felt natural again, but a force knocked her off of her feet, winding her. _"What the hell?"_ she thought, mainly asking Ario what had just happened.

The white tiger answered her, _"Your sister has decided to pay a visit, along with that orange kid."_ _"Naruto,"_ Mitsuki thought, and felt Midori's weight like a three thousand pound elephant on her. _"I'm not used to this,"_ she thought, desperately, willing Midori to get off of her.

Mitsuki could hear her sister's voice, "Are you ok, Kiba? What were you two doing?" Kiba sounded like he had gone back to normal from whatever trance he was in, "We were sparring. Get off of Mitsuki," A firm hand grasped onto her arm as she was lifted to her feet. Mitsuki looked up, facing Kiba now, "Um, nice match," he muttered.

"Yeah." She answered back. Ario must have rolled his eyes, _"What a flashy entrance. Your sister is so flamboyant."_ _"No kidding,"_ Mitsuki answered, meeting her sister's fiery green eyes. Wondering why she was so worked up, she was about to ask, but Naruto was almost jumping up and down, "Kiba! Dude, who won?"

"I dunno," Kiba glanced at Mitsuki, then to Midori, and back to Naruto. "I think Mitsuki almost won, though, if the match had gone on a little longer." She felt her breath catch in her throat, _"Liar."_ But he smiled at her, no trace of contempt or any negative emotion in his eyes.

Midori, though, was just the opposite. "Errands?! Kiba, what the hell did you lie to me for? _Errands_?" Midori was in full-on angry mode, and Kiba flinched, "I wasn't thinking, sorry." But Midori punched him in the cheek, making him recoil for a moment.

"Hey," Naruto tried to intervene, "Midori, that's not nice." But Midori just wasn't having it. "Shut up, Naruto!" She growled. Mitsuki just stared at her sister, confused. _"What's her deal? You'd think she thought I was about to kill someone or something, the way she jumped on me…"_ Ario just sighed, _"I have no idea."_

Kiba recovered from Midori's crude punch to the face and said, "Geez; I'm sorry, ok? I just thought… if I told you that I was going to go do something, which was originally going to be training, you'd want to come, but I wanted to try something out… when I realized the field was already occupied, I decided to go ahead and talk to Mitsuki, and we started to spar. Ok?"

Midori's crazy attitude faltered as she collected herself, and Naruto smirked, "Right then. Now that _that_ is out of the way… what do you all think of finding a mission we can do?" Mitsuki shook her head, "I've got training to do. Right after I finish this page, though."

Disregarding the three in front of her, she pulled out her notebook and her pen and began writing.

**Midori's POV**

She was surprised by what her sister had just done; the one person who had no emotion whatsoever when it came to others… was smiling at her notebook and writing in it. _"I didn't know she could smile,"_ Midori thought.

Midori glanced sideways and saw that Kiba and Naruto were staring at her intently. But Mitsuki suddenly looked up, making Midori growl when she realized that she was looking straight at Kiba, but she asked, "Do you guys think it'd be better if the guy in this story was… unapproachable, or kind and friendly.

Almost about to say that she didn't give less of a shit, Midori opened her mouth to be cut off by Naruto. "I think he should be unapproachable." But Kiba's eyebrows rose, "I think he should be friendly." They began to fight it out, each giving their reasons, and Mitsuki smiled, "Both is good."

The two stopped, and Kiba smiled at her. Midori growled, _"No! That's not fair! Not once has he EVER smiled at ME like that!"_ She grabbed Kiba by his arm and Naruto by his head, "Let's go train. And Mitsuki," she addressed her sister, who looked up. "I would do the same."

Mitsuki just stared at her and shrugged, "In a little bit. I _have_ to finish this-" But a voice from afar interrupted her, "Hey! Mitsuki! Um… I've gotta talk to you!" Midori looked up, _"Who the hell could it be now?"_

It was Sakura and Ino, holding two books in their hands, as they rushed over to her sister. "Can you sign this for me?!" They both asked, and then got into one of their normal fights about who asked first. Mitsuki sighed, "Sure."

Midori watched as Mitsuki took the books from Ino and Sakura and wrote something in them both, accompanied by her fancy, wavy signature. She handed the books back and Ino stared at hers, "Thank you!" Sakura continued, "Yeah, we wanted to get ours signed because your newest book is by _far_ the best one!"

Mitsuki smiled, "I'm glad you like it. Would you prefer to see more things like this, or-" "LIKE THIS!" Both girls yelled, smiling so wide that Midori wondered if their faces hurt, and Mitsuki giggled, "Ok then. I guess you'll be the first people I'll call when I'm done with this book."

Ino and Sakura smiled and walked away, saying hi to Midori, and they were on their way again. _"What the hell is so great about my sister? I mean, sure, in the Academy, she was the smart one. For crying out loud, even Sasuke liked her! But… after that, she leaves, and no one even remembered that she was in the village for like… a year. Then, one of her books comes out, and it's a best fucking seller. After that, no one could stop talking about her books. Now, she's back, and it's as if she's famous or something!"_

Seething in confusion and, even though she hated to admit it, jealousy, Midori glared at her sister's happy face.

**Mitsuki's POV**

Mitsuki noticed her sister's mean glare, and at first, she didn't really care, but now it was kind of worrying. _"Did I do something to upset her?"_ Confused, Mitsuki wanted to ask her what was wrong, but she couldn't, seeing as Naruto and Kiba were still here.

"Dude! That's so cool! I wanna read one of your books now; they seem interesting!" Naruto was jumping up and down like the kid he used to be, and Mitsuki sighed, "I doubt it. It's romance stuff, and I seriously don't think it's your speed."

Midori kept glaring at her, only changing where her glare was aimed when Naruto spoke, and Mitsuki sighed again. "I'm just going to keep writing. I'll get some training in later." Looking for Ario, she spotted him and Akamaru chilling out by the nearby water.

Naruto smiled, "Ok! Let's go, Midori! I bet we can pull another prank or two!" Midori complied, but turned around and said in an unnaturally hard voice, "You coming, Kiba?" Kiba just stared at her, but said, "I'll catch up with you guys later."

Mitsuki was taken aback by the horrible face her sister made when Kiba turned around, and began dragging Naruto back in the direction of the village. _"What's up with her?"_ Mitsuki thought, but noticed Kiba was staring at her.

"What?" She asked, watching his eyes scan her face briefly. "Nothing," he looked away, but sat down on the grass, "You know… for not training in three years, you're still pretty good." Surprised, Mitsuki smiled, "Yeah? Thanks." He smiled back, "You're welcome."

It was silent for a moment, but that's when there was a little bit of noise to the side of the clearing. Ario stood ready, and Akamaru tensed up, but it was only Shikamaru with a strand of wheat in his mouth.

He walked up to the two, "Hey Kiba and Mitsuki." Kiba said, "Hey, Shikamaru. How was that mission that Lady Tsunade sent you on? Must have been quick." "Mission?" Mitsuki asked, but Shikamaru laughed, "It wasn't even a mission. If anything, it was a drag. She made me do paperwork for her! Not to be rude or anything, but not only is she _old_, but she's lazy as _hell_!"

Kiba laughed, making Mitsuki stare; never before had she ever heard someone laugh like that. Not only was it so genuine that it was golden, but it was attractive. Embarrassed, she looked away and asked Shikamaru, "So… how was the paperwork." To her delight as well as her dislike, Kiba stopped laughing, and Shikamaru shrugged, "Paperwork. Nothing to write home about."

Ario came up and sat next to her. _"I can hear your thoughts. Heh."_ Mitsuki glared at the white tiger, _"Shut up! It was on impulse, ok?"_ But the tiger shook his head and lied down next to her. Shikamaru sighed, "Mitsuki… what was up with your sister earlier?"

Mitsuki shrugged, "I dunno… maybe it's her 'time of the month' or something. It was as if she had a sudden mood swing." Kiba was looking around, and Akamaru pushed his nose into his thigh, making him pet him on the head, and Mitsuki found herself staring. As if Shikamaru had something better to do, he smirked, "Well, I'll go do some more paperwork. I'd work on building up your muscle again, Mitsuki."

He began to walk away, and Kiba turned to her, a cocky smile on his face, "You ready for another round?" "Um," Mitsuki started. "If you want to… but hold on. I _have_ to finish this paragraph." She looked back down, feeling her pen glide slowly on the page she was writing, and heard him ask, "So… what's in that book of yours anyway?"

Mitsuki looked up to see him staring down at it curiously. "Nothing extreme… just… romance… stuff. I doubt you'd care to read it." But he took it from her, making her stand up. "Give it back." Mitsuki tried to sound angry to make him give her shit back, but Ario just snorted as he sauntered up to her, _"Telling him that will only want him to read it more."_

Kiba was staring down at the page, reading, and when he got to the middle, he stopped. He blinked three times, as if he didn't believe what he was seeing, and kept going. By the end of the page, he turned it to find that there was nothing there.

"Where's the rest of it?!" He demanded, turning pages frantically. Mitsuki could barely keep her thoughts from Ario, _"He's… kinda… cute…"_ Ario just snorted, but didn't reply. "Um… it's in my mind. Since you took it from me, I couldn't write it down." He threw the notebook back at her and said, "Keep going! What happens next?!"

Mitsuki stared at him, "Um…" But he started jogging in place, "C'mon! I have to know!" Ario just snorted as he laid his chin on his paws, _"He's so hyper. Is everyone in Konoha like this?"_ Mitsuki shook her head at the lazy tiger and turned back to Kiba, "I guess… he tells her how he feels. I can't say it aloud… that's why I became an author. To tell people what I want to say through words even though I don't speak them."

He stared at her and smiled, "Well, from what I hear, you're pretty good at what you do, Mitsuki." She nodded, "Thank you." Kiba darted behind her, making Akamaru whine, seeming confused, and grabbed her hand. Mitsuki felt a blush sear her cheeks at how close he was; back in the Academy, lots of the boys liked her for whatever reason, but none of them dared to get anywhere close to her.

"W-what are you…?" Mitsuki tried to ask, but his other hand reached around her and flipped open the notebook. "Write it down." He said, his breath tickling the back of her neck. She glanced at Ario, who was staring straight ahead. _"This is just like in… my stories…"_ Mitsuki felt him move her hand toward the page. "Don't be scared. Write it down, like I'm not even here."

**Midori's POV**

She walked off, damn near furious. _"What the fuck is up with everyone and my sister?! Have they never seen an author before? I mean, what's so fucking special about her? She wrote a book, great, good for her, but we're out here risking our asses to protect everyone in this village!"_

Midori was seething in anger, and Naruto must have noticed. "Midori, what's up? Why are you so-" "Shut up, Naruto." "Mad…" He continued when he realized that she wasn't in the mood. "Listen." He pulled out of her grasp and stared at her.

"I know that it seems like everyone prefers your sister over you right now. It's because they missed her and haven't seen her forever. It'd probably be the same thing if Sasuke came back to the village…" Midori watched as he took a deep breath, and continued, "Just… don't take it out on other people. Ok? You'll lose friends that way."

She heard Naruto's words loud and clear, and she took a moment to mull them over. _"He's right,"_ she finally came to the conclusion, and spoke up, "Hey, Naruto." Midori stared into his eyes and saw no emotion, which is uncharacteristic of him. "Sorry. I guess I'm just not used to her being back, either."

He smiled suddenly. "It's alright, Midori! Heh, Kiba's just excited to see her, too! I dunno if you knew this, but… he liked her back in the Academy, like lots of the other guys. But… he didn't do anything about it because we all knew that Sasuke liked her, too. Guy code, right? I doubt those feelings could have lasted that long, but… ahhh, why would he like her? They're opposites."

Midori's smile suddenly faded as she thought about it. _"He's gotta be right. Kiba wouldn't like her… would he? He couldn't have carried those feelings for three years. It's… it's impossible…"_ But the more she argued to herself about it, the more she realized that that may just be the case.

Naruto was staring at her, "Why don't we go find Ino and Sakura? Maybe they'll hang out with us, and Sakura will finally come with me on that date I asked her for the day we got out of the Academy…" Midori, distracted for a moment, said as they walked down the streets of Konoha, their voices fading into the distance, "Sakura doesn't even _like_ you." "Yeah, I know, but that can change, right…?"

**Mitsuki's POV**

Mitsuki soon found herself lost in her writings, but she was still acutely aware of Kiba's hands over hers as she wrote, his chin resting on her shoulder. Ario sighed, _"Is it over yet?"_ Mitsuki glared at the white tiger from the corner of her eye; he didn't even agree with all of the romance stuff that she wrote about. _"No. Shh."_

Suddenly, she drew to a conclusion, hearing her voice whistle through her lips, "Ok." Kiba let go of her, jumping to Akamaru, who had waited patiently only a few feet in front of her, and said, "Read it to me."

Mitsuki felt another blush rise to her cheeks, "W-what…? But… but I can't…" He lied down on the huge dog's stomach and put his arms behind his head as he half-glared at her, "Just read it, Mitsuki." Finding it hard to refuse, she started to read:

"…"_Without you, I am lost," he murmured, looking into her clouded eyes with nothing but love. She didn't respond, though, and he began to touch her hair. "I wish we could have spent more time together," he sighed, willing her eyes flash with consciousness or her chest to rise, but he knew that would never happen again. She was lost to him, and he felt nothing but pain and love. "I never got to tell you… that I loved you…" He resisted placing his lips upon her; it would only bring back cruelly bittersweet memories._

_But… suddenly, her body convulsed as if she had taken a huge breath. His breath caught in his throat, but her brilliant hazel eyes opened. She appeared to try to say his name, but he wouldn't let her, as he finally allowed himself to kiss her, ever so sweetly. "You… it was you. You brought me back." She looked into his chocolate eyes, and found it impossible to think of leaving his side again as he held her closer."_

Tearing up a bit herself, Mitsuki looked up from her notebook. Kiba was staring up at her with wide eyes. "You're an amazing writer, Mitsuki. How come you never let other people see this kind of stuff before you publish it?" She smiled as she felt her face flush, "I don't know… self-consciousness, I guess." But he stood up, "Why? That was easily the most emotional thing I've ever heard, and it didn't even happen. I was standing next to you when you wrote it. How do you do it?"

Mitsuki sighed, "I dunno. It goes on in my head, I guess." Kiba stared at her for another moment, but he sighed, "Alright, then."

They sat in silence until he asked, "Now… are you up for a little more training? You've gotta be ready for tomorrow, right?" She nodded, and he came at her, "Alright then, I'll help you!" Mitsuki threw her notebook to Ario as Akamaru began charging at her from her side, _"Hold this."_ _"I'll hop in to help if I think you need it."_

Hmm. What do you think is gonna happen next? I honestly don't really know myself… well, rate/review, because for one thing… it's gonna get _intense._ :D Please.


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